Verbena plant named ‘VEAZ0017’

ABSTRACT

A new  Verbena  plant named ‘VEAZ 0017’  particularly distinguished by the brilliant red-purple colored flowers with a small white-eye, deep green deeply lobed foliage, good branching with somewhat compact plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Verbenahybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘VEAZ0017’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Verbena, botanically known asVerbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘VEAZ0017’.

‘VEAZ0017’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas brilliant red-purple colored flowers with a small white eye, deepgreen deeply lobed foliage, good branching with somewhat compact planthabit.

‘VEAZ0017’ originated from a hybridization made in August 2007 in agreenhouse environment in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. The female parentwas the proprietary plant designated ‘Puwydena’, U.S. Plant Pat. No.22,535, with reddish flowers, a plant habit with fewer branches andhigher seed set rate than that of ‘VEAZ0017’.

The male parent of ‘VEAZ0017’ was a proprietary plant designated‘Flagdena’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,438, with pink bicolored flowers,much more vigorous habit and a higher seed set rate than that of‘VEAZ0017’. The seed was sown in February 2008 in a greenhouseenvironment in Enkuizen, The Netherlands.

‘VEAZ0017’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross in August 2008 in a greenhouse environment in Enkhuizen,The Netherlands. The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘VEAZ0017’ wasaccomplished when vegetative stem cuttings were propagated from theinitial selection in August 2008 in a greenhouse environment inEnkhuizen, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in August 2008 in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands, and continuingthereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for ‘VEAZ0017’ are firmly fixed and are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘VEAZ0017’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onNov. 9, 2012, No. 12-7792 and at the Community Plant Variety Office onSep. 25, 2012, No. 2012-2026. ‘VEAZ0017’ has not been made publiclyavailable more than one year prior to the filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Verbena as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘VEAZ0017’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type.

The photographic drawing shows in FIG. 1 a flowering plant of the newvariety and in FIG. 2 a close-up of the inflorescences.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in Enkhuzien, TheNetherlands in August from plants growing in an outdoors trial in one(1) meter window boxes with each box containing 5 plants. These plantsused were about 5 months old.

The aforementioned photographs were taken in Andijk, The Netherlands inMay from plants growing in a greenhouse trial in 12 cm pots. Theseplants used were about 9-11 weeks old with no terminal pinches to theplants.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘VEAZ0017’ AND A MOSTSIMILAR VARIETY ‘Carmali’ (U.S. Plant ‘VEAZ0017’ Pat. No. 19,467) Flowercolor: Slightly more blueish hue Slightly more carmine Flower fadingColor fades more Color fades less Flower size: Larger Smaller Planthabit: Bigger/wider Smaller Length of peduncles: Shorter Longer

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Herbaceous; mounding and outwardly            spreading growth habit; bushy and tight habit with            relatively short branches, and long peduncles.        -   Plant height.—13-15.0 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—15-17.0 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 40-46.0 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate and produce roots.—About 10-14            days at about 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 143A.        -   Immature, leaf color, lower surface.—Between RHS138B and RHS            143A.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 137A to RHS 137B.        -   Mature, leaf color, lower surface.—Closest to RHS 138B.        -   Length.—2.9-3.9 cm.        -   Width.—2.3-2.6 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Base shape.—Attenuate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Serrated, and sometimes deeply and irregularly            incised.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Appears almost glabrous.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Pilose, few glandular hairs mostly            on the mid-veins.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 144C basally, otherwise            indistinct.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 145C basally, otherwise            indistinct.        -   Pattern of veining.—Pinnate.        -   Petioles color, upper surface.—RHS 144C.        -   Petioles color, lower surface.—RHS 145C.        -   Petioles length.—0.2-0.4 cm.        -   Petiole width.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   Texture.—Weakly pilose.-   Stem:    -   -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—20-30.0 cm.        -   Color of stem.—Some are RHS 143C, others RHS 144A.        -   Stem length.—About 15-17.0 cm.        -   Stem width.—0.25-0.3 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—1.5-3.0 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirtellous, short hairs.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 147A with some having a weak overlay            of anthocyanins of about RHS 200C.        -   Length of peduncle.—Mostly 2.0-4.5 cm, some are close to 7.0            cm at a more mature stage.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Pilose, glandular hairs.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal, umbel-like, but actually a spike,            umbrella-shaped.        -   Blooming habit.—Flowers continuously.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 6 days            in the greenhouse and depending on cultural and            environmental conditions.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—About 30-40 at various            stages.        -   Horizontal diameter of inflorescence.—4.5-5.0 cm.        -   Depth of inflorescence.—1.9-2.1 cm.        -   Number of florets per inflorescence (including any buds at            the time).—About 25-30.-   Bud (just when opening/showing color):    -   -   Color.—RHS 63A.        -   Length.—1.2 cm.        -   Width.—0.3-0.4 cm.        -   Shape.—Tubular with bulbous end.-   Corolla:    -   -   Form.—Sessile; salverform, composed of 5 partly fused petals            with a base of a narrow tube.        -   Immature color, upper surface.—RHS N57A but a deeper hue.        -   Immature color, lower surface.—RHS N57C.        -   Mature color, upper surface.—RHS N57B with a small eye of            RHS 69D or RHS N155D.        -   Mature color, lower surface.—Between RHS N57B and RHS N57C.        -   Floret diameter.—1.5-1.7 cm.        -   Floret length (depth).—About 1.0-1.1 cm.        -   Petal length.—0.8-0.9 cm.        -   Petal width.—0.5-0.7 cm.        -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex shape.—Emarginate to retuse with some just rounded.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Papillose.        -   Petal texture, lower surface.—Papillose.        -   Corolla tube color inside.—Weakly RHS 75C.        -   Corolla tube color outside.—RHS 63C at corolla end and RHS            145D at lower half of tube.        -   Corolla tube length.—1.4 cm.        -   Corolla tube width.—0.2 cm.        -   Corolla texture, inside.—Papillose with hairs at the corolla            flare.        -   Corolla texture, outside.—Papillose.        -   Throat hair color.—Closest to RHS N74D.-   Calyx:    -   -   Type.—Five sepals whose margins are fused to each other            along their length, with a transparent membrane of less than            0.1 cm in width and with one smaller sepal attached to the            base of the calyx.        -   Color of sepals.—RHS 147B with a bit of RHS 183A at the            upper margins.        -   Length of sepals.—0.8-0.9 cm.        -   Width of sepals.—0.2 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Linear.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margins.—Entire, where not fused.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Pilose, glandular hairs.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—        -   Pistil.—1.        -   Pistil length.—2.0-2.2 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 144D.        -   Style length.—1.7-1.8 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 144C.        -   Stigma shape.—Bi-lobed or bi-parted.        -   Ovary color.—RHS 144C.        -   Ovary length.—0.15 cm.        -   Ovary width.—0.1 cm.        -   Androecium.—        -   Stamens.—Anthers and filaments fused to upper half of            corolla tube; four anthers with two pollen sacs per anther.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS 149D.        -   Filament length.—0.2 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 145C.        -   Anther length.—0.1 cm.        -   Color of pollen.—RHS 145D.        -   Pollen amount.—Sparse.-   Fertility/seed set: Has not been observed to date.-   Disease/pest resistance: Has not been observed to date.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant named‘VEAZ0017’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.